


Change

by wrasslesmut



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Professional Wrestling
Genre: F/M, More tags to be added, Rated for future chapters, they do the do very vaguely in chapter 2, this is kinda self indulgent??, we'll get there when we get there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-03-17 18:17:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18970501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrasslesmut/pseuds/wrasslesmut
Summary: Jon disappeared, then he came back. He’s changed, you’ve changed, wrestling changed. That’s what happens when you fall off the grid for eight years.But he didn't like that one of his few friends had changed so much.





	1. Chapter 1

The arena was electric, and one glance at your screen told you why. Son of a bitch finally reappeared to cause more havoc, probably felt that things had gotten stale and needed a shake-up.

You’d honestly thought that Cody was joking when he said he’d gotten Moxley, and a part of you kind of wished he had been joking. Jon had been off the scene for a long time, and there were a lot of rumors as to why he had disappeared and just where he went that nobody had seen or heard from him since 2011. Jon Moxley was good at falling off the grid and reappearing when needed, but eight years was a long time to just disappear and not communicate with or even make an appearance anywhere. Not when you loved the business as much as Moxley did.

Some guessed (and were probably correct) in saying prison, others assumed he found somebody to love him but he needed to get away from wrestling to really process that love in a stable environment (but you didn’t buy that story easily). There were some rumors that he’d gotten really hurt and had to take the extended absence otherwise he could never wrestle again, and maybe that was the winner. But nobody knew the solid story, because Moxley never told anybody the solid story. He might’ve told Cody when he signed whatever deal they made, but you also doubted that. Moxley played his cards very close to his chest, always had and you doubted that changed during his years away.

“Don’t know why you’re surprised, I literally told you this was happening.” Cody commented, tapping your shoulder to pull your attention away from the screen. “You didn’t believe me?”

“Eight years. Nobody had seen or heard from this dude in _eight years_.” You commented, pointing to the screen as Moxley laid on the giant poker chips. “I thought you were joking.”

“I thought it was a joke when he called.”

“ _He called you?”_

“From a cell phone and everything.” Cody teased, nodding slowly while maintaining that serious expression. “Right after we’d tweeted out all of those ‘All Elite’ images for all of our signees.”

“Huh.”

“He’s been looking for someone all night, too.”

“Coach Malenko, maybe?” You suggested, closing your laptop so you could pack it up. You’d thought that your conversation with Cody was ending, but the way he leaned against the table told you that he wanted more from you. “What?”

“Malenko wants you in the ring with him soon.”

“Not happening.” You shut down, sliding your laptop into your bag and smiling up at your boss. “I don’t wrestle anymore, and I don’t really want to. I’m happy behind the scenes.”

“When that changes-“

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll let you know.” You cut him off, looking around him to see Brandi watching you two and most likely waiting for her husband so they could talk business. “It’s not going to change, but Brandi looks like she needs you.”

“Right, yeah, I’ll see you on Wednesday. Call if you need anything.”

“Always do!” You called after him, turning on your heel to walk the other direction. Unfortunately for you, what you thought was open space turned out to be a body and your surprised gasp/shriek was met with an amused chuckle as large hands steadied you.

“So you _still_ don’t watch where you’re going?” His voice had you freezing, not expecting to run into Jon so soon and disappointed in yourself for running into him literally. Maybe if you closed your eyes and stood very still, he wouldn’t see you? “Hello?”

“Wasn’t expecting you to be right behind me, Jon.” You responded, stepping back so you could properly look up at him. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to be back. Missed seeing you out there, though.” He commented, gesturing to your outfit. “Especially missed seeing you in those little shorts.”

“Bummer.” You murmured sarcastically, checking your phone before slipping it into your back pocket. As expected, Jon watched your every move and you knew he was trying to figure out what all had changed in the time he’d been gone. “Where’d you disappear to, huh? Eight years is a long time to not check in with your friends.”

“I moved out to Vegas.”

“That’s it?”

“Basically.” He shrugged, and you found yourself incredibly disappointed that there wasn’t more to it that he was sharing. “Gonna tell me why you’re not wrestling?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

“That it?”

“Basically.” You shrugged, mimicking his lack of information and you knew it was going to make his blood boil. That’s just how Jon Moxley was, he hated when people weren’t straight with him. You were expecting some sort of cussing, maybe a loud clap as he commented on how bitchy you were being, some sort of outburst. But what you got was the sight of the massive man closing his eyes as he took a deep inhale before that breath was released and he looked back down at you.

“Alright, I get it. But is that any way to treat an old friend?”

“You, Jon Moxley,” You started, jabbing his pec and hoping it hurt him just a little bit. “fell off the grid for _eight_ _fucking years._ Just because you have a cool tattoo and can finally keep a beard going that doesn’t look like facial pubes doesn’t mean you can just decide that you’re privy to certain information.”

“Alright,” He conceded, raising his hands in defense but not bothering to move your hand from his chest. The Jon Moxley you knew would have swatted your hand away or tried to move it down to his crotch, so this was interesting territory for you to be in. He’d definitely grown up while he was away, and not just in muscle mass. “How about this? I shower and put on a shirt, and we go get drinks to catch up? Just you an’ me, because you’re my favorite tag partner and I kinda missed you.”

“Why do I feel like you’re trying to butter me up?”

“I’m not. No tricks and no games, just two friends catching up after eight years apart.”

“Just drinks? No trying to get me into bed, or weaseling into my hotel room for a free night?” You asked, trying to think of everything possible when it came to dealing with Jon. “Or-“

“I’m even paying for the drinks. All of them.”

He was _definitely_ up to something, there was no way he wasn’t. But, as much as you hated to admit it, you had missed the giant doofus and did want to spend some time catching up with him. So you sighed, nodding your agreement to grab drinks with him and earning a small smirk from the man as you gently pat his chest.

“Hotel bar, nothing flashy.” You requested, and he nodded his agreement before Cody called his name. “See you later, loser. Don’t keep me waiting.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He commented as you walked around him to leave, turning his head so he could check you out as you walked away. “What if the bar is packed?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“We always do,” He mumbled under his breath, smiling to himself as he headed over to see what Cody wanted. Maybe Cody would tell him why you weren’t wrestling anymore.


	2. Well, What Now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It switches from 2nd to 3rd person because I've decided it's gonna be a bit longer than a 2-parter.

It was a lot to process, and being honest, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to. Everything was too perfect, her legs wrapped around Jon’s hips as he held her up against the wall beside the massive sliding glass door to the balcony overlooking the strip. They were a mass of clashing teeth and tongues while he thrust into her, every so often pulling apart to whisper words of praise or instruction.

But it’s as he pulls her off the wall in favor of carrying her over to the bed, pushing his jacket off her shoulders as they cross the room before he lowers her onto the mattress, that she stops to consider just how the _fuck_ she managed to get into bed with Jon Moxley after promising herself that she wouldn’t just hop to it no matter how much he tried.

 _That fucking jacket._ She cursed in her head, still unsure if it was a curse or a blessing as Jon slowly pushed back into her until he was buried to the hilt and she was digging her nails into his back to try to keep a grip on her reality. _It really is never just drinks, it it?_

* * *

She’d been leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the hotel bar when he’d approached, and one glance into the bar told him exactly why. It was probably a fire code violation to have that many people in a space that small, but Jon was happy for the chance to take her somewhere more private. The kind of catching up he wanted was best done in less crowded places, for the sake of keeping their personal information personal and not common knowledge.

“You’re late.”

“You never gave me a time to meet, and it’s been half an hour.” He responded, enjoying the smirk that settled on her features as she pushed off the wall. “Come on, I know a place.”

“Lead the way,” She requested, falling into step beside him and watching as he nodded to a group of fans before holding the lobby door open for her. “What’d Cody want?”

“Photo op, and then I got a camera in my face so that was something.” He explained with shrug, looking down in time to watch her nod slowly. “Thought you would have changed out of fancy producer clothes into something more casual.”

“Vice President of Talent Relations and Outreach, for one, and believe it or not, I kinda dress like this now.” She informed, biting her lip to hold in the chuckle at the way his eyes widened. “What? Business casual is very versatile, and this top is cute.”

“I cannot believe this is you now. Instead of a bar, we’re going to the ER so you can get your head checked out.”

“Me? You look like you did time, enlisted, then got kicked out of the army.” She argued, reaching out to pull at the top he’d thrown on. “Tank tops and skinny jeans with a leather jacket? And a gold chain, really? Mid-life crisis come early?”

“They’re straight-leg.”

“They cling to your thighs so try again.”

“I fucking hate you.” He muttered, not wanting to look at the smug smirk that he knew was on her face and instead looking up at the lights of the strip. “What have you been up to all this time?”

“Babysitting The Elite most recently and working closely with Cody and Brandi on AEW stuff, moved to the Bay Area, but may move out to Florida once we’re on television more frequently to be closer to the rest of AEW leadership.”

“The Bay?”

“I needed a babysitter for a while, and I have a friend who lives out there so life worked out.” She explained with a shrug, following as he turned down a side street. “Where are we going?”

“Some dive that’s nearby. Drinks are cheap and still good, sometimes there are bands, you’ll like it.”

She hated that he was right. The bar was small, but still somehow spacious and they had plenty of room to maneuver without having to move so one of them was standing behind the other. And there were two seats at the bar right next to each other, further proving that timing was everything, but she wasn’t going to admit that Jon Moxley showed up at the right time. She was never going to let him be right.

It was quiet between them as they settled at the bar, Jon signaling a bartender knowing that she’d rely on her go-to, a double dirty Shirley Temple because it was a drink you shouldn’t be able to fuck up. She watched quietly as he ordered for the both of them, a raised brow asking the question that he didn’t know quite how to answer. Before he left, he’d have to order for her because her tiny ass could barely be seen by the bartender and she’d always been quiet and difficult to hear over the music.

“I speak for myself now, y’know.”

“Yeah, yeah, eight years and all that.” He waved her off, chuckling when she swatted at his arm. “Who’s paying?”

“Who offered?”

“Okay, yeah, you got me there.” Jon sighed, rolling his shoulders as he turned in his stool to face her properly as their drinks were set down in front of them. It was quiet between them for a few minutes, because neither knew what to say that hadn’t already been said before. Shooting the shit was never something Jon was good at, and she knew that he hated small talk when they had reasons to talk to each other. So she jumped right to it, setting her glass down and successfully pulling his attention from his glass.

“Can I ask why you left now or is this not the place?” She asked, leaning against the bar as she watched him play with the glass that held his jack and coke.

“If I tell you why – the real reason – will you tell me why you left the ring?” He asked, watching as she sat a bit straighter while she pondered her options. This was how he knew it was serious, not just her being on a short hiatus. Her on a hiatus was much more antsy and willing to talk it out, but it was more than obvious that she wasn’t sure that she wanted to talk about it or not. He was leaning more on injury and interpersonal issues, especially since Cody told him that she was the only person that should talk about it with people who didn’t already know. “What happened?”

“I’m gonna need another drink.” She whispered, taking a moment to down the rest of her drink before signaling the bartender for another. “You first, Mox; what pushed you into hiding for eight years?”

“Yeah, well, I got an opportunity that seemed too good to pass up at the time. It was good, made good money, but I couldn’t be _me_.” He started, nudging her knee with his own before his leg started bouncing restlessly like it always did when they had serious conversations. “Eight years is a long time to shut off part of yourself, and the money was good, but it wasn’t worth it after a while. I missed getting gritty, and all of my friends that I essentially ditched for good money and a big stage."

“I thought that Ambrose guy looked familiar,” She teased, gently poking his shoulder as her glass was replaced with a full one. “Did you get any jail time?”

“Few months.”

“Knew it. Did you miss me?”

“Every damn day.” Jon spoke softly, watching as she tried to suck the straw into her mouth without turning her head or moving the glass. A couple moments of struggling had him entertained, but he reached out and scooted the glass closer so she didn’t have to work as hard.

“I had it.”

“Sure you did.” He nodded, shaking his head as she tried to defend herself. “Your turn, sport.”

“Ah, shit.” She muttered, taking another sip to gather herself. “Long story short: wrestled this bitch who was drunk, took a shitty bump, almost got blamed for it even though there was nothing I could do and came real close to throwing hands with Gabe over it.” That last comment had him chuckling, wishing that he could have been there to see her lunge at Gave and try to fight him. “Went to Japan, wrestled a couple shows, had some rough shoulder pain and almost dropped Meiko in my last match there, so I left early and came home to the states and see a doc and learned that I completely separated my shoulder. So I had surgery, and unofficially retired so I’ve been hanging out with Cody and helping him and the rest of The Elite build AEW.”

“That’s so shitty.” Was all Jon said, and you weren’t expecting much more than that, and she only nodded as she took a drink. “But unofficial retirement? The fuck does that mean? And when was this?”

“Little over three years ago. I say ‘unofficially’ to make Cody feel like he has a shot at bringing me back.” She responded, giving a sad smile to Jon as he nodded. “Being totally honest with you and only you, I’m scared to go back. The thought of that happening again, and the fact that I could have died that night if things went real south or could’ve killed someone else, just bugs me and I don’t like to feel that way.”

“That’s fair, but don’t you ever want to just kick that fear in the ass and get back to doing what you were born to do?”

“Sometimes I get the itch, and then I get into a ring and freeze like I forgot how to work. So, I’m staying away, for my safety and everyone else’s.”

Jon only nodded at that, not knowing how to fix it and not knowing if she even wanted to fix it. She seemed content out of the ring, Cody put her to work and has been keeping her close to the business but out of the ring, which seemed like what she wanted. She was being taken care of and she seemed to be happy, so did he even need to step in?

“But enough about that sad shit, what’s your AEW game plan?” She changed the subject, watching him shake his head with a smile before he took a drink. It was then that it really hit her that she had missed him, and took a selfie as he ignored her while talking about his plans to dominate and take over while he investigated all of the bottles on the wall behind the bar.

* * *

“How illegal is it to jump in the fountain?” She asked, looking between her companion and the massive fountain outside one of the hotels. It was perfect for a photo, with all the water and lights and colors, and that was what she wanted to celebrate AEW’s successful pay-per-view event.

“Doubt it’s _illegal_ , but it’s definitely not suggest- where the fuck are you going?” He asked, following her to the fountain and watching as she danced her way over. “I know you’re not drunk, so I’m going to need you to be the voice of reason right now and not me.”

“I just want you to take my celebratory picture on the fountain for my Twitter. Then I’ll get down and we can go about our night.” She explained, handing her phone over before standing on the edge of the fountain and posing. “Take them quick, I’m not trying to get arrested for disorderly conduct.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” He quipped, holding her phone and taking a few pictures as she moved through poses. But it was when she lifted her foot that he could sense the danger but helped her down carefully. However, it was some water on the ground that caught her heel, and he couldn’t react fast enough to stop her from falling into the fountain. “Shit! You good?”

“It’ssocold!” She shrieked, reaching for his hand and letting him pull her out and steady her. “I cannot believe I fell in _after_ I got down.”

“I can. Just your luck huh?” He teased, unable to stop himself from checking her out through her now see-through shirt. “Cute bra for somebody who didn’t have plans tonight.”

“Oh, shut up.” She groaned, crossing her arms over her chest and avoiding his amused expression. “Give me your coat.”

“Bitch, you’re wet.”

“And I’m cold and exposed. You really want _everyone_ seeing me like this?”

“Lucky I like your needy ass,” Jon sighed, shrugging out of the jacket and draping it over her shoulders. He watched around them as she quickly undid the buttons of her blouse and took it off, keeping the jacket steady on her body until she could slip her arms into the sleeves and zip it up. “Comfy?”

She nodded, waving her arms to make the ends of the sleeves flap around as she grinned up at him. Maybe she was actually drunk? Eight years was a plenty of time to learn how not to be a sloppy drunk. 

“You drunk?”

“Only _slightly_ tipsy.” She responded, holding up a hand that was still obscured by his sleeve. “You can’t tell but I’m holding my fingers very close together.”

“I bet.” He mumbled, hooking his finger in her belt loop to keep her close to him because he knew that she had a tendency to wander regardless of the amount of liquor in her system. “Let’s get you to bed, huh? Or at least into some dry clothes.”

“Yeah, sure.” She murmured, keeping pace with his long strides as they walked along the strip. It was quiet between them for a moment, Jon enjoying the silence as he pondered the events of the night, but he knew that his companion needed to fill the silence. But instead she continued to walk beside him, trying to push up the sleeves of his jacket to free her hands but was unsuccessful due to their size difference and the unyielding material of the jacket.

It was like they were in autopilot from their history of traveling, because it didn’t click for either of them that he had no need to go into the hotel and into the elevator because he lived in the city and drove himself to the venue. But he stayed by her side through the elevator ride, thinking about what was next. The dream would be pulling her into bed, but he wasn’t going to make that move and risk pissing her off without knowing if she was still into him like that.

“You’re thinking hard, please don’t hurt yourself.”

“Oh fuck you,” He laughed, watching as she unlocked the door and leaned against the doorframe.

“Wanna come in? Cody paid for the room, so the mini bar is _technically_ open for business.” She offered, and he couldn’t say no to a free drink, so he nodded and followed her into the room, watching as she pointed to the small fridge while she went to her suitcase.“I’ll get a shirt on so you can get your jacket back.”

“You can hang onto it, if you want.” He spoke without really thinking, and the confusion was obvious in her features as she turned to look at him. The jacket was half unzipped, showing just enough of her bra and cleavage to be tempting and the fact that her fingers were still holding the zipper made him feel like she was posing for him. “If you left it on just like that, I’d say you were a welcome back gift for me.”

“You’re the literal worst.”

“Who invited me in?” He reminded, pulling a beer from the mini bar and smirking when she huffed. “But really, leave that just like that for me?”

“What are we doing, Jon?”

“Two friends sitting at a table in a hotel room, catching up after eight years.” He responded, watching as she pulled off her pants and put on a pair of shorts that were hidden by his jacket when she stood to her full height. “And I get little shorts tonight too? AEW does truly give back to their talent.”

“I hate you.” She muttered, pulling the bottle from his hand and taking a drink. “But I can’t say I didn’t miss you making my life difficult.”

“I missed you too, sweetheart.” He smiled, gently pulling her to sit in his lap and mentally patting himself on the back when she just let it happen. They were encroaching on the point of no return, but he was going to let her call the shots tonight. She deserved that much.

“Hey Jon?”

“Hm?”

“I am glad you’re back, you know. I know I’ve been snippy and-“

“I left with no contact for eight years, you responded accordingly.” He cut her off, not wanting her to feel as though she needed to apologize to him. Especially since she was the one person in his life that he trusted to do minimal harm towards him that wasn’t undue. “Don’t apologize to me."

“I wasn’t going to, I don’t like you _that_ much.”

“But you like me enough to sit in my lap, wear my shit, and drink my beer?” He asked, fingers playing with the zipper of his jacket. “Seems kinda… _intimate_.”

“Not like it matters. Who’s to say you won’t up and disappear for another eight years?”

“Ouch.” He grinned, and she shook her head before tugging on his beard. “You know I like it rough sweetheart.”

“We haven’t had enough to drink to make excuses, or act like this didn’t happen next time we see each other.” She commented, watching as he finished off the bottle and set it down on the table.

“I’ve never needed or wanted that shit to sleep with you but, if you don’t want this, I need you to say something before I take things too far.” He requested, his now free hand settling on her bare thigh as he watched her consider her options.

“I remember when _I_ was the one super desperate to fuck you. Oh, how the times have changed.” She murmured, fingers gently stroking along his jaw before she kissed the corner of his lips. “Have you gone soft for little old me, Mox?”

“I think you can tell that I’m the opposite of soft right now.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” The request was whispered against his lips, bringing a smile onto his face before his hands cupped her cheeks to pull her in for a kiss.

* * *

And now, as he pulled out and dropped to lay beside her, she had plenty of time to think more about the repercussions of her actions. There probably weren’t any major ones but she was extremely disappointed in herself for crawling back into bed with him after eight years of no contact (she knew she couldn’t hold that one over his head _forever_ , but night one of being reunited was the perfect time to think about it.

“I didn’t want to end up in bed with you,” She whispered, looking up from the ceiling to avoid the look that she thought would be in his eye. Those baby blues were dangerous, and he always knew what face to make to get her to crack. “You’re not the same shithead I fucked around with before, but fuck Jon.”

“I know, I know. Eight years is a long time and we’ve got a lot of reacquainting to do.” He commented, turning onto his side and offering a small smile when she looked over at him. “But the sex was great and one thing to get out of the way.”

“Glad I didn’t totally disappoint you tonight.” 

“We’ll work on that wrestling thing eventually.” He assured, watching as she rolled her eyes before sitting up to get out of bed. “Where are you goin’?”

“You’re still supposed to pee after sex, dumbass. That certainly didn’t change in eight years.” She reminded, looking back at him as he groaned. “I also need to wash the fountain water off my skin.”

“Yeah, I was thinkin’ about that and people probably piss in those babe.” He commented, grinning when he heard her stop in her tracks before she groaned. “Which means you got pissy fountain water on me, this bed, and my jacket.”

 

“Shut the fuck up and call the front desk for clean sheets!”


	3. Breakfast and (not quite) Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wants guidance - Jon just wants some eggs.
> 
> Jon wants his best friend to go to Japan with him - she just wants to eat her eggs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally named her.
> 
> Also this is super dialogue heavy and I'm annoyed about it - but the next chapter won't be like that.

‘ _Thank you Las Vegas for going Double or Nothing with AEW! Last night served as one of the many reminders of why I love this business and I can’t wait to see how the future of this industry develops!’_

There were a few hashtags that nobody really cared about, but the photo credit was what blew up her mentions on both Twitter and Instagram. Most people were asking if an in-ring return was in the future because she and Mox had reunited. All she tweeted in response was the shrug emoji, deciding to let everyone make what they wanted out of that.

“Eggs?” Jon asked, grabbing her attention from where he was seated on the bed and looking over the room service menu while flipping it over like he was trying to find something. “Normal eggs - scrambled eggs, not deviled - do they exist here? Here they are _aaannnd_ they’re twelve bucks. Just how far are we testing how much Cody likes you?”

“Don’t you have any cheap hole in the wall breakfast places you frequent?” She asked, fixing her belt and smirking when he nodded slowly. “You didn’t even think about cheap breakfast? Who have you become?”

“Honestly wanted to get you into bed again before you left town and I can’t do that in a restaurant.” He shrugged, catching his tank top that she threw at him just before it could hit his face.

“You’re a goddamn nightmare. This is exactly why I didn’t want to sleep with you, because once it starts that’s all you care about.”

“Hey, I was a pleasure to have in class and I won’t let you tarnish that reputation.” He argued, pulling the fabric onto his body and she let out a sigh as she considered just what the fuck she was doing. No, not she, _they_. It took two to tango and she was way too old to let him off the hook because of whatever fears of commitment he may have. She wasn’t that desperate for his attention anymore and she knew better than to put it all on herself.

But that made her wonder just what she even wanted from her old friend. They may have had sex last night, but did she want that to continue? Did she want more than just sex and friendship from Jon? Did she want _anything_ from him at all? What did _he_ want, and how was she supposed to ask him that?

She assumed that have the “what the hell are we doing” conversation sooner was better than later was best practice and took a second to muster up her courage as he continued to fiddle with the room service menu.

“Jon,” She started, crossing her arms over her half-bare chest and watching as he rose an eyebrow. “I really need to know what the fuck we’re doing here. Is it serious or is there potential for it to be?”

“Does that matter?”

“I need to know what to expect from you and what the boundaries are.” She demanded, trying to remain firm but letting him pull her in close by her belt loops so she was standing between his spread legs. “When we were fucking around before you’d only kiss me when you were drunk, and nighttime cuddling wasn’t much of a thing, so I can’t operate on eight-year-old rules.”

“And I don’t want to do that, either.” He assured, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he leaned in to kiss her stomach above her belly button. “We’ve changed, obviously since you wear slacks almost religiously.”

“Do we want to talk about your skinny jeans, or….?

“Fair enough. But, to answer your question, I don’t think there are any boundaries that I necessarily want if we keep this up. I missed you while I was gone, and I want more time with you both naked and clothed.”

 _Ever the charmer._ She thought to herself, uncrossing her arms so she could run her fingers through his hair as she smiled down at him. Time had certainly made him a more intimate man, and you wouldn’t catch her complaining, but she could tell it was something he wasn’t totally comfortable with either. “Public acknowledgements?”

“That we’re friends? Always. That we’re fucking should probably be kept to a minimum right now.” He decided, and she nodded her agreement as he nuzzled his nose against her skin. “Can we go get eggs now?”

“Let me finish getting dressed, asshole.”

* * *

Jon Moxley loved his food, and that was something that would never change. She found great joy in watching him wiggle in the booth as his basic breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon was delivered to their table along with her egg’s benedict and fruit bowl. 

“You’re watching me,” He observed, and she shrugged with a smile as she cut into her breakfast. “I know there’s nothing on my face.”

“You start to wiggle when you see your food come.” She commented, grinning at the way he leaned back in the booth, raising a hand to his chest in mock offense. “It’s kinda cute.”

“I don’t _wiggle._ ”

“That’s exactly what you do, but whatever.” She teased, watching as he bit into his toast and got jam on his face. “And you’ve got strawberry in your beard.”

“Comes with the territory,” He excused, wiping at his face with a napkin as she took a drink of her coffee. “When are you leaving town?”

“My flight is tomorrow at six am, and I’ll be enjoying my apartment for a couple months before I have to start stressing about All Out.”

“Not worried about Fyter Fest?”

“Too many eyes are on Fyter right now for me to really be stressed about anything. I’ve got to finalize some talent bookings but other than that, not much for me to work on there unless Cody or Brandi ask me to help them with something on their to-do list.”

“Will you be there?”

“Allegedly.” She shrugged, getting a scoff and Jon's mumbled "smartass" under his breath as she continued to eat her fruit.

“Comin’ back to Vegas any time soon?” He asked, rolling her eyes when she smirked at the question.

 “Not currently in my plans.”

“What about Japan?” He asked, sheepish smile on his face when she rose an eyebrow. He wasn’t trying to go to Japan alone and she'd been there a few times with time to explore. “I’ve got some shows for New Japan-“

“-no, I was expecting STARDOM-“

“-shut up. and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along and work some ringside magic?" 

 _“No.”_ She answered way too quickly, which made him feel as though he had a chance. At the very least he might be able to negotiate her into coming to Japan with him, since he officially knew that she wasn’t doing anything else and he knew that if she needed to do anything for AEW she could do it literally anywhere thanks to modern technology. She knew he hated asking her to do stuff for him, and he knew that she knew, but ha also knew that if he leaned on her in  _just_ the right way she'd cave and come with him to Japan. Maybe not helping him win, but she'd be there and that's what he wanted more than anything else.

  
“Why not?”

“I don’t like you enough to go to the other side of the ocean for a wrestling show.” She explained, pointing her fork loaded with egg, English muffin, and Canadian bacon at him before putting it in her mouth. He knew she wouldn’t have a serious answer, and he knew that he could convince her to come with come classic Moxley charm. He just had to lean on her in just the right spot, and hope that she still would do anything to help him be successful.

“But it’s a title match.” He added, hoping that the additional stipulation would soften her resolve just a bit. Instead he heard her hum as she pretended to think about it while she chewed her food. “That a yes?” 

“It’s a hell no." Well, so much for that. "I don’t give a shit that it’s a title match, I’m not going to be your valet and put a story there that isn’t.”

“What story?”

“Reunion of The Bastards and a potential return to the ring. _Neither_ are happening.” She explained, her tone firm so he’d get the point that she wasn’t getting back in the ring. He understood, but he’d have that fight with her after he got her to agree to Japan. Right now was about securing a travel partner, getting his favorite co-conspirator and tag partner back in the ring could come later. Hopefully  _after_ she helped him get comfortable in NJPW and he'd won the G1 and North American title.

“At least come with me. Best friends’ trip that one of us happens to be working during.”

“Since when did we become best friends?”

“I don’t just give my jacket and stick my dick into anybody.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“It’s been eight years, I’m a changed man Mona.” He defended himself, smiling when she sighed again. She was cracking, which meant she’d either agree or get pissed at him soon. “All you need is a flight, because I’ve got my hotel sorted and everything, and you know you’re my favorite tour guide.”

“You clearly haven’t met Okada.”

 “You could introduce us.”

“When did you become so fucking needy?” She asked, but he watched as she unlocked her phone and left it sitting on the tabletop as she opened her airline app. “There will be conditions, so don’t get too excited.

“Name ‘em.”

“I know they give you a second pass for front row and backstage, so I want it.”

“Anything else?”

“I want free merch when you've got it, mini bar access, and you’re buying all my food while we’re there - nonnegotiable. When is your flight?”

“Second at like eight in the morning.” He responded promptly, then watched as she hummed and typed, answering her questions as they came up until she had a confirmation and some grumbles about how she did too much for him. “I’ll email to let them know that you’re getting that second pass.”

“Thanks.” She mumbled, downing the rest of her coffee before leaning back in the booth. “I’m flying out of SFO on that day.”

“Can’t wait. Thanks for coming with me.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’ll be nice, though. I haven’t been back since…” She trailed off and he didn’t like seeing her visibly tense at the reminder of her shoulder injury and frowned, wondering why she hadn’t thought about that part before agreeing to come along.

“I figured as much. You can refund your tick-“

“Nope. I’m going.” She cut him off; and he knew she was trying to act tough for him, but he wished she knew that she didn’t need to do that. He already owed her big time (and probably should have paid for her flight), so she could really do and act however she needed without worrying about his reaction. But he figured that'd she'd been acting tough with or without him around, if the way Cody made it a point to go out of his way to take care of her so she'd chill out meant anything. While he knew it'd take time, he just wanted her to let her guard down around him again.

“You sure?”

“I think about that night every day because I’ve got a scar to remind me every morning, being in Japan isn’t going to change that.” She commented, and he knew the conversation was over because she wasn’t going to dive deep into her injury with him, at least not right now and definitely not in a public place where people could easily pat attention to her. So he let her change the subject to some narwhal documentary she'd watched recently, more than happy to keep talking to her.


End file.
